Bandura on Bloor №5

Bandura on Bloor returns for the second time this year with a show featuring world-renowned bandurist Julian Kytasty with a guest performance from Toronto-based bandurist Olha Petelko!

Presented by the Toronto Bandura Festival, Bandura on Bloor is a musical concert series in Toronto showcasing solo bandura performers, small ensembles, and bands featuring the bandura. Join us for this delightful opportunity to spend your Friday evening with the magical sounds of the bandura in downtown Toronto!
This performance will be followed by a post-concert reception for all the guests and performers.

All net proceeds from this event will be donated to the Project Soniashnyk, a Canadian non-profit organization that hosts Summer & Winter recreational rehabilitation camps in Ukraine for children whose parents are Active or Fallen Members of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

Friday, June 12, 2026
7:30 PM (Doors 7:00 PM)
Royal York Road United Church
851 Royal York Road, Toronto, ON

Performers

Julian Kytasty

Julian Kytasty was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a family of Ukrainian refugees who came to the United States after World War II. He is a third-generation player of the bandura, a Ukrainian stringed instrument with similarities to the lute and the zither. He first learned the instrument from his father and grandfather, and from his great uncle Hryhory Kytasty, a renowned composer and conductor. In 1980, he moved to New York to be the music director of the New York Bandura Ensemble and began a career that has taken him all over the world. As a performer, recording artist, composer, teacher, and ensemble leader, he has redefined the possibilities of his instrument. His discography includes tributes to the bandura’s deep tradition (Black Sea Winds, Songs of Truth), innovative ensemble recordings (Experimental Bandura Trio), World Music collaborations (Wu Man and Friends), a duo with Free Improvisation master Derek Bailey, electroacoustic projects, and a recent recording of his own solo instrumental music (Nights in Banduristan). He has worked cross-culturally with such artists as Chinese pipa player Wu Man, klezmer revivalist Michael Alpert, and Mongolian master musician Battuvshin. Julian Kytasty has composed music for theatre, modern dance, and film, including an award-winning film score for the National Film Board of Canada’s feature documentary, My Mother’s Village. His work on Yara Arts Group’s 1917-2017 earned two New York Innovative Theatre Awards, for Best Original Score and Best Musical. In 1989-90, Julian Kytasty first toured Ukraine, performing over 100 concerts as a soloist and with a bandura ensemble. He has returned many times since, performing all over the country, as a solo artist, in Yara Arts Group theatre projects, and in collaborations with Ukrainian artists. In September 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Julian Kytasty the title “Honoured Artist of Ukraine” in a ceremony in New York City.
Wikipedia

Olha Petelko

Olha Petelko, a native of Sambir, Ukraine, is a bandurist and a bandura and vocal educator. She is a graduate of Drohobych State Pedagogical University of Ivan Franko, specializing in bandura, vocal performance, and conducting. During her time in Sambir, Olha was the director of the Chervona Kalyna Women’s Folk Choir, an active performer and soloist with various bandura trios and duets, and a member of the vocal group Impresia. She is also the founder of a private vocal studio, “Spivay”, having numerous students who have won prizes in various competitions in Ukraine. Recently, Olha has moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she has been an active member of the Crescendo Musical Group, the Malvy Bandura Trio, and the church choir at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Holy Protection. Music plays an important role in her life, giving her strength, inspiration and the desire to create and move forward.

Tickets
Early Bird (Until May 31): $25.00 (+fees)
Regular (After May 31): $35.00 (+fees)
Seniors (After May 31): $30.00 (+fees)
Under 30 (After May 31): $30.00 (+fees)
Under 12: Free (Reservation Required)

Transportation Info

Car - Free Parking
Free parking is available on streets adjacent to Royal York Road United Church.

Car - Paid Parking 
Green P Lot 505 (934 Royal York Rd)

TTC
Royal York Station is a 650m walk from Royal York Road United Church.
The nearest bus stop is at Royal York Rd & Glenroy Avenue (Routes: 76 & 15).